Combination step-stool, step-ladder and container means



Oct 29, 1968 K. M. DELAFRANGE COMBINATION STEP-STOOL, STEP-LADDER ANDCONTAINER MEANS Filed June 9, 196'? 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR KBVIVW M.

ATTORNEY Ra /Il 4 I11 unlrk 1968 K. M. DELAFRANGE 3,407,899

COMBINATION STEP-STOOL, STEP-LADDER AND CONTAINER MEANS Filed June 9,1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I/ III] III m INVENTOR I" xav/wsm M. 1 oezzwmn/as,

ATTORNEY 0a. 29, 1968 K. M. DELAFRANGE 7 3,407,899

COMBINATION STEP-STOOL, STEP-LADDER AND CONTAINER MEANS Filed June 9,1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR KEVN77V M arm/909N645 wwggmw,

ATTORNEY United States Patent Oil ice 3,407,899 Patented Oct. 29, 19683,407,899 COMBINATION STEP-STOOL, STEP-LADDER AND CONTAINER MEANSKenneth M. Delafrange, 96 Washington Ave., Westwood, NJ. 07675 FiledJune 9, 1967, Ser. No. 644,995 4 Claims. (Cl. 182-20) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A polyfunctional structural combination of receptacle forwaste or other material and combination step-stool and step-ladder ofouter and inner telescoped housing members each preformed andstrengthened on opposite sides providing vertical slide-guide nestingformations, the outer member being provided with manually operablesqueeze-lock means for elevating and lowering the member andinterlocking it with the inner member in a number of vertically spacedfunctional positions and having a step hinged to swing and hold inhorizontal position of support atop the upper end of the innertelescopic member.

The main object of the invention is provision of a polyfunctionalstructure of the kind which has good appearance, can be producedeconomically and has novel cooperation of its embodied structuralfeatures. Further objects and advantages will become apparent from thefollowing detailed description and specification and from the drawingsforming part thereof, wherein FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective viewsrespectively of an embodiment of the invention in normal step-stool andin step-ladder positions of adjustment.

FIG. 3 is a horizontal cross section view of the structure of FIG. 1taken on line 3,3 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is a vertical median cross section of the assembled members ofFIG. 1 on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a detail plan view of hinged step mounting interiorly of theouter housing member front panel.

FIG. 6- is a detail view in cross section of the manually operablesqueeze-lock means.

FIG. 7 is a detail perspective view partly broken showing housingmembers in step ladder position with step turned down.

FIG. 8 is a detail view in part section of the step holding means.

Having reference to the drawing, and FIGS. 1 to 4 in particular, theembodied structural combination there illustrated consists of twopreformed telescopically asso ciated housing members, an outer housingmember 1 having a cover 2 hinged thereon to overlie the upper end of thehousing member in horizontal supported position thereon, an innercontainer housing member 3 'with upper open end and a base support 4provided with conventional rubber feet for surface engagement andsupport and an inner removable pail receptacle of plastic or othermaterial for receiving therein waste or other matter.

Opposite midzone vertical side portions of housing members 1 and 3 arepreformed by being struck inwardly, thus defining in each a recessedpanel and relatively narrow and facing vertical panels 6 and 7 and 8 and9 respectively resulting in strengthening and rigidifying the thin sheetmaterial of the members and providing mutual nesting slide-guideportions for the members in telescopic assembly, the resultinginterengagement maintaining the members in position but permitting easyvertical sliding adjustment of the outer member with relation to theinner member. The inner member 3 being fixed at its bottom to itssupporting base is further rigidified at its free or upper end bygussets 30 welded or otherwise fixed to lie flush with the upper end ofthe member at its in-struck portion and to afiEord additional bearingsupport for a step member presently to be described. Greater strengthand rigidity is rendered the outer housing member 1 on each side bytubular member 10 of a squeeze lock means disposed between narrow panels6 and 7 fixed at its ends to the panels in registry with holestherethrough adapted to be brought in registry with holes 11 verticallyspaced in panels 8 and 9 in the narrow panels of the inner housingmember.

Tubular members 10, as portions of the squeeze-lock means provide handhold means for slidably elevating and lowering the outer housing memberwith relation to the base supported inner member and house slidablythere'within at opposite ends slide bolts 12 and 13 in spaced relationwith a tensioned helical spring 14 disposed between inner ends of thebolts tending to force the bolts outwardly of the tube ends and throughvertically spaced holes in panel portions 8 and 9 when these come inregistry with the locking device. The bolts may be retracted within thetube by manually squeezing together finger grasp elements 15 and 16exposed outwardly of the tube and having end portions thereof fixedwithin the tube to inner end portions of the bolts 12 and 13respectively. These elements pass through an elongated slot 17 whichlimits separation of the elements and bolts under pressure of spring 14and in turn limits projection of the bolts from ends of the tube. Innormal step-stool locked position the squeeze-lock bolts 12 and 13extend outwardly of the ends of tube 10 and through. the lowermost setof holes 8 and 9 of the inner housing member.

When it is desirable to vertically expand the structure to apredetermined intermediate height or to the stepladder position, a usermerely grasps the tubular member 10 and squeeze-lock elements 15 and 16on opposite sides of the outer housing member, then, by the simpleoperation of squeezing the elements toward each other against the springtension the lock bolts are withdrawn and the outer housing member isfree for vertical elevation or lowering, as the case may be, to obtaindesired elevation of the supporting top cover. With the lock boltsretracted, an operator vertically slides the outer housing member withrelation to the inner housing member to a desired height where thesqueeze-lock registers with a given set of bolt receiving holes inpanels 8 and 9 at which point the bolts are released for projectionthrough the holes to lock the members together in the selected positionof adjustment.

A rectangular step through opening is provided in the lower frontportion of the outer housing member which is normally closed by a s ringloaded step 17 hinged mounted to be swung inwardly and downwardly of thehousing to horizontal support position atop the inner housing memberwhen in use. The step is supported at its lower or front edge portion byhinge units 18 fixed thereto and hingedly mounted on a horizontal pintlerod 19 passing from outside of the housing where it is headed throughhinge units 18 and like hinge units 20 formed integral with or fixed toa horizontal support and panel stiffening strip 21 welded or otherwisefixed to the inner face of the housing panel along the lower edge of theopening therein. The step is slightly larger than the step throughopening so as to abut in its end and free edge portions with the rearface of the panel. Helical spring means 22 under tension surrounds rod19 with spring ends bearing respectively on the inner surface of thehousing and the inner or bottom surface of the step. This spring means,which becomes further tensioned as the step is swung inwardly and down,serves to return the step from a swung down position to its normalvertical and aperture closing position when not being used. Pintle rod19, which is headed at one end to engage the outer surface of thehousing \member, is passed through a hole provided therefor through thehousing material, the hinge units and the helical spring means with itsfree end extending outside a hinge unit where it is fastened againstdisplacement by any suitable means, here illustrated as a simple cotterpin 23.

The arrangement is such that, when the outer housing member isvertically adjusted to its uppermost locking position, the step may beswung inwardly and downwardly to horizontal position to be supported inoverlying engagement with the upper end of the inner housing mem ber,and mainly thereon at points of reinforcing resulting from theslide-guide and gusset formation. To hold the step in its turned downposition, the narrow panels 6 are a-pertured at 24 to fr'ictionallyreceive the free end of a formed leaf spring 25 fixed at its other endto the inner or bottom side of the step. The free end portion of thespring extends outwardly and downwardly with relation to the free edgeboundary of the step where it is curved and formed for yielding buttensioning engagement with the inner surface of the housing and forprojection through aperture 24. This spring is designed with sufiicientstrength to overbalance tendency of spring means 22 to return the stepto vertical position. However, its engagement through aperture 24 may bereadily broken by added manually applied lifting force on the free edgeof the step. To accommodate flexing of the spring through its engagementwith the inner surface of the housing in being turned down, the freeedge portion of the step is apertured and recessed at 26. When the stepis in use, it forms an intermediate one between the floor and the hingedcover having firm overlying support atop the outer housing.

Operation and uses of the structural combination described appears clearfrom its description. However, in the nonmal lower lockedposition of theouter housing there is provided a combined step-stool and housedreceptacle for waste material adaptable for vertical expansion toprovide added and higher support surface in intermediate positions, orto provide a step-ladder with substantial upper stand support.

The invention has been described and illustrated in a selectedembodiment thereof but words employed are those of description and notof limitation as changes and modifications within purview of theappended claims are contemplated without departure from the true scopeand spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a combination step-stool, step-ladder and container means, avertically expansible housing comprising inner and outer telscopedhousing members each having on opposite sides thereof vertical preformedslide guide and facing formations in nested relationship, said innertelescopic member constituting a base supported container with open topand vertically spaced horizontally aligned lock bolt receiving aperturesin its facing slide guide formations, said outer member having a hingedhorizontal cover and support overlying its upper end having at the lowerpart of slide guide formation manually operable squeeze-lock means formanually elevating and lowering the outer member with relation to theinner member and interlocking the two in different positions of verticaladjustment as determined by the vertically spaced lock-bolt receivingpositions in the inner mem ber.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 with an inner but removablepail-type receptacle for receiving waste or other material within theinner housing member.

3. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein the manually operablesqueeze-lock means each comprises a slotted tubular reinforcing handhold member housing in its ends thereof slidable lock-bolts projectibleoutwardly of the tubular member by spring means interposed therebetweenand having finger grasp elements extending through the slots foroperation of the bolts for unlocking or locking the bolts through thevertically spaced openings in the inner member.

4. The structure as defined inclaim 1 wherein the outer member isprovided with a step-through aperture in the lower portion thereofnormally closed by a step mounted on the inner side of the housingmember, spring loaded hinge mechanism fixed to the inner side of thehousing member and lower edge portion of the step supporting the stepand normally holding it in aperture closed position, said step beingadapted to be swung downwardly to horizontal position atop the innerhousing member in upper position of adjustment of the outer member, andmanually releasable latch means for holding the step in its swung downposition.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,526,767 10/1950 Parker 3122352,530,965 11/1950 Horn 1822O 2,555,988 6/1951 Nelson 3l2235 2,775,44912/1956 Gleitsman 18235 REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner.

